This time next year, every year 1 pupil in England is likely to encounter a new national test assessing a central aspect of their ability to read. The children, aged five and six, will be presented with 40 individual words on paper, and asked to sound them out to their teachers or to another adult. Some words will be familiar to most, while others will be made-up or "non" words such as "mip" or "glimp", designed only to assess the child's ability to follow the pronunciation rules, such as they exist, of written English.

The test, Mansell wrote, is hugely controversial, with most parents unware that it is going to happen, but "several influential organisations fulminating against its potential impact and cost." Leading literacy figures described it as an "abomination" and potentially "disastrous".

The point of the exercise is to identify those children who need help so that resources can be directed towards them, but Greg Brooks, emeritus professor of education at the University of Sheffield, told Mansell teachers can and should do this themselves without the test. And, moreoever, they should do so at the beginning of year 1 rather than leaving it until May.

Before phonics were reintroduced in the teaching of English kids were struggling to learn their own national language properly at school. I write as a trained teacher of English. And if we don't test kids' knowledge we won't be able to identify their progress or otherwise. Final point, it's disadvantaged kids who need to learn literacy as soon as possible and they do so only at school these days because their parents don't usually support them to do so. Literacy and phonics are tools in an egalitarian struggle and those who oppose them are enemies of the poor. End of....

And not even reading for pronunciation! Cow... row (quarrel)... row (a boat). Plough. Dough... I could go on. Bernard Shaw pointed out that 'fish' could be spelt 'Ghoti' (see enouGH, emoTIon)... Phonics may help but it's only a part of how to decode print in English.

• The Times Higher is closely following the story of Professor Bernard King. King, who had been the principal of the University of Abertay Dundee and the convener of Universities Scotland, was suspended in Febuary "in the midst of what one source described as a "war" between senior managers, reports the Times Higher. During his suspension, King turned 65 and the college duly dispatched a letter saying that he was officially retired. King is refusing to accept this, saying he remains in dispute with the university. The Scotsman reported that:

"He also claims he was victimised for acting as a 'whistleblower' by raising complaints on behalf of other staff."

Museum visit

Exhibitions don't come much more child friendly than the Barbican's current offering. Watch Me Move: The Animation show documents the history of animation over the last 150 years, bringing together over 100 films by cut-out, collage, puppet, clay and stop-motion animators, auteur filmmakers and exponents of experimental film alongside the creative output of the commercial studios.

For sports fans the Weston Park museum in Sheffield has Sports Lab: The science behind the medals. Which answers burning questions like: How many hours of training does it take to win a gold medal? Will a shark-skin swimming suit really make you swim faster? And where would you draw the line between fair play and downright cheating?

On the Guardian Teacher Network

This includes a collection of interviews with men who endured years of slave labour, malnutrition and neglect in the Far East prisoner-of-war camps during the second world war. The archive is part of a pioneering education project for secondary schools set up by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund).

Guardian Education Centre seminars for teachers

This seminar, part of our popular Insight into Journalism series, gives secondary school teachers and college tutors the chance to spend a day at the Guardian. You'll meet specialist journalists from the investigations team, find out from writers what makes a good features article and learn about commissioning, editing and interview techniques.

Time: 8 July, 9.15-4.30.

Cost: £72, including lunch and resources.

Education seminars from Guardian Professional

Whether it's sharing good news or handling a crisis, headteachers and school management teams need to be able to handle the media in all of its forms. This one-day seminar in association with the NAHT is essential for new and aspiring heads as well as established school leaders who wish to update their knowledge. It includes a session on social media.